Vehicle heating box

ABSTRACT

A heating box for a vehicle for which source of heating is obtained from the coolant used to cool the engine of the vehicle.

PRIOR APPLICATIONS

This invention claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.______ filed on Apr. 18, 2005.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a heating box for road vehicles.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Currently most vehicles, such as cars or trucks for example, do not havea device that can be used to heat-up items, such as food or water forexample. The reason for this might be that previously this need has beenoverlooked or that it was not practical or feasible to implement aheating box in a vehicle because of the high operating cost.

In this application a heating box for a vehicle that relies on the hotcoolant from the engine of its vehicle as its source of heat so that ithas almost no operating cost is introduced.

SUMMARY

In accordance with the present invention, a heating box for roadvehicles that uses the hot coolant of the engine of its vehicle as itsheating source.

Objects and Advantages

Besides the objects and advantages of the heating box described in myabove patent, several objects and advantages of the present inventionare:

-   -   (a) to provide a heating box that can be used to heat-up food;    -   (b) to provide a heating box that can be used to heat-up water.    -   (c) to provide a heating box that can be used to heat-up comfort        devices.    -   (d) to provide an adapter that can be used with the heating box        to form a heated cup holder.

Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from aconsideration of the ensuing description and drawings.

DRAWING FIGURES

In the drawings, closely related figures have the same number butdifferent alphabetic suffixes.

FIG. 1A shows a top view of the heating box

FIG. 1B shows a front view of the heating box

FIG. 2 shows a top view of the heating box where the temperaturecontrolled valve is located at the outlet of the heating box.

FIG. 3 shows a top view of an alternate design for the heating box whereno temperature controlled valve is used.

FIG. 4A shows a top view of a cup holder adapter that can be pluggedinto the heating box.

FIG. 4B shows a front view of a cup holder adapter that can be pluggedinto the heating box.

FIG. 5A shows a top view of a heating box using a cup holder adapter.

FIG. 5B shows a front view of a heating box using a cup holder adapter.

FIG. 6 shows a heated cup holder as a device on its own.

REFERENCE NUMERALS IN DRAWINGS

1 insulated box

2 hinge

3 cover

4 magnetic seal

5 compartment base

6 heating piping

7 temperature controlled valve

8 flexible hose

9 coupling t-section

10 coupling elbow section

11 cup holder adapter face

12 cup holder adapter tray

13 cup holder heater

14 cup holder heating plate

15 snack box

16 snack box heating plate

DESCRIPTION

General Description

The preferred embodiment of the heating box is shown as a top view inFIG. 1A and as a front view in FIG. 1B. The heating box consists of aninsulated box 1 that has four insulated side walls and an insulated backwall. It also has a cover 3 at its front face that is attached usinghinges 2, so that insulated box 1 can be opened or closed using cover 3.In order to prevent the heat from insulated box 2 from escaping, thefront surface of insulted box 1 is magnetic and cover 2 has magneticseals 4, which are similar to the magnetic seals used in refrigerators,which can mate with the front surface of insulated box 1. In order toheat insulated box 1, insulated box 1 has a heating piping 6 and atemperature controlled valve 7, which are used to controllably directhot coolant from the engine coolant piping to the insulated box and thenback to the engine coolant piping. At the inlet of the heating box atemperature controlled valve 7 is located, if desired temperaturecontrolled valve 7 can also be placed at the outlet of the heating boxas shown in FIG. 2. The outlet of temperature controlled valve 7 is thendirected to heating piping 6, which forms a piping system that directshot coolant at its inlet to a heating coil shaped piping portion,located above the bottom side insulation of insulated box 1 and below acompartment base 5, and then directs the hot coolant out of the heatingbox. Also in order to connect the engine coolant piping to the heatingbox, at two locations, portions of the engine coolant piping are removedand then replaced by coupling T-sections 9, which are welded onto theexisting piping system. Each coupling T-section 9 has a coupling thatcan be used to attach a hose for example. The coupling of couplingT-section 9 located closer to the engine is directed to the inlet of theheating box using a flexible hose 8, which should be insulated, and thecoupling of coupling T-section 9 located closer to the radiator isconnected to the outlet of the heating box using another flexible hose8.

Furthermore, in order to control the temperature of the heating box, thesetting of temperature controlled valve 7 can be adjusted as desired. Ifthe temperature inside the heating box is as hot or hotter than thesetting of temperature controlled valve 7, then temperature controlledvalve 7 is closed so that the coolant bypasses the heating box; and ifthe temperature inside the box is lower than the setting of temperaturecontrolled valve 7, then temperature controlled valve 7 allows coolantto enter the heating box. The accuracy in maintaining the heating box ata desired temperature can be increased by increasing the thermal mass ofthe heating box, by using a water jacket for example, or by reducing thecoolant flow to the insulated box.

For better performance, it is recommended that the flow resistance ofthe in the couplings, flexible hoses, temperature controlled valve, andheating piping is minimized.

Cup Holder Adapter

Several adapters can be inserted into the heating box, such as anadapter that can heat-up and provide water, an adapter that can be usedto heat-up the interior of the vehicle, or an adapter that can provide aheated cup holder for example. A design for a heated cup holder adapteris shown as a top view in FIG. 4A and as a front view on FIG. 4B. And adrawing where the cup holder adapter is inserted into the heating box isshown as a top view in FIG. 5A and as a front view in FIG. 5B. The cupholder adapter has two heated cup holders, and a heated snack box thatcan be used for snacks such as chicken nuggets or onion rings forexample. The cup holder adapter consist of a cup holder adapter face 11,which is made out of an insulated material and is large enough so thatit can cover the entire opening of the heating box. In order to securelyattach the cup holder adapter to the heating box, portions of the backsurface of cup holder adapter face 11 have magnets which can mate withthe magnets of the front surface of the heating box. On the frontsurface of cup holder adapter face 11, a cup holder adapter tray 12,which is also made out of an insulated material, is shaped. In cupholder adapter tray 12, two cup holder heaters 13 and a snack box 15 aremolded in. Each cup holder heater 13 is made out of a heat conductivematerial, such as stainless steel, and at the back surface of each cupholder heater 13 a cup holder heating plate 14 is shaped. Snack box 15is also made out of a heat conductive metal and at its back surface asnack box heating plate 16 is shaped. The cup holder heating plates 14and the snack box heating plate 16 extend into the interior of theheating box so that heat from the interior of the heating box isconducted to through the cup holder heating plates 14 to the cup holderheaters 13, and through the snack box heating plate 14 to the snack box15. If more economical, a heated cup holder can be designed as a deviceon its own, and not as an adaptor for the heating box. One method wouldbe to permanently attach the cup holder adapter face to the heating box.Another method would be by using the same coolant connection describedbefore, and have the hot coolant heat the cup holder heater and thesnack box directly so that the heating coil shaped piping portion is notneeded.

FIG. 6-7—Alternative Embodiments

An alternate configuration for the heating box is shown in FIG. 3. Herein order to reduce the cost of the heating box, the temperaturecontrolled valve is eliminated, so that the temperature of the heatingbox can not be adjusted.

Advantage

From the description above, a number of advantages of my heating boxbecome evident:

-   -   (a) The heating box is heated by the hot coolant from the engine        so that it requires less operating cost than other heating        devices currently on the market, which most likely rely on        electricity.    -   (b) The heating box is designed so that it can accommodate        various adapters so that it can be used for other purposes such        as a heated cup holder for example.        Operation

In order to utilize the heating box of this invention, the user simplyplaces the heating box at a convenient spot inside the user's vehicleand then installs it as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, FIG. 2, or FIG. 3. Andin order to set the temperature of the heating box to a desiredtemperature, the user uses the temperature controlled valve. Now whenthe vehicle is running, the user can use the heating box to heat items,such food, and water for example by placing the items inside the heatingbox and closing its cover. Also if the user wants to use the heating boxfor other purposes, such as a heated cup holder for example, the usercan plug an adapter into the heating box.

Conclusion, Ramification, Scope

Accordingly, the reader will see that the heating box of this inventionprovides a heating box that basically operates for free. The heating boxcan be used to heat-up food for example. Because of its design, manyother uses of this heating box are also possible. For example, if awater container adapter is placed into the heating box, the heating boxcan be used to heat-up water that can then be used to make instantcoffee, instant noodles and so forth. Or by using a heated cup holderadapter described in this application, this heating box can also be usedto provide a heated cup holder. Furthermore, this heating box can alsobe used to heat-up comfort devices such as a heater for example.

Furthermore, the heating box has the additional advantages in that

-   -   it operates more cheaply than currently available heating        devices, because it uses the heat from the engine coolant as a        source of heat.    -   it is designed so that it can accommodate various adapters for        various purposes.

Obviously besides using the hot coolant from an engine to heat-up a box,the hot coolant can be used to heat up an interior heater, a heated cupholder, or a water heater directly.

Although the description above contains many specificities, these shouldnot be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merelyproviding illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodimentsof this invention. Thus the scope of the invention should be determinedby the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by theexamples given.

1. A vehicle heating box comprising, a) an insulated box which has afront opening, said insulated box is designed such that besides food,adapters for other purposes can be inserted into said insulated box b) acover which is used to cover and uncover said front opening of saidinsulated box, c) a beating coil which is used to beat up said insulatedbox, said heating coil has an inlet connection and an outlet connection,said inlet connection and said outlet connection are connected to theengine coolant piping system of a vehicle, wherein said vehicle heatingbox which is designed such that it can accept said adapters, which allowsaid vehicle heating box to have multiple functions, is constructed. 2.A cup holder adapter which can be inserted into said vehicle heating boxof claim 2, said cup holder adapter has two cup holders and a snack boxmade out of a heat conductive material which have heating plates thatcan be inserted into said vehicle box so that heat from said vehicleheating box is conducted to said cup holders and said snack box.
 3. Saidvehicle heating box of claim 1 wherein a temperature controlled valve isplaced either at said inlet connection or said outlet connection of saidheating coil.
 4. A heated cup holder and snack box for a vehiclecomprising, a) cup holders made out of a heat conductive material, b) asnack box made out of a heat conductive material, c) a heating coilwhich touches a portion of the heat conductive material of said cupholders and a portion of the heat conductive material of said snack box,so that heat from said heating coil is conducted to said cup holders andsaid snack box, said heating coil has an inlet and outlet connectionthat is connected to the coolant piping system of said vehicle.